Chapter Seventeen
Oliver arrived at Starling City General Hospital as soon as he could change from his Arrow gear. When he got there Laurel, Diggle, Roy, Thea, Tatsu, and Captain Lance were already in the waiting room. He looked around for Palmer, but he was nowhere to be found. Internally, he sighed from relief, as he wasn't sure he'd be able to contain his temper. But the bastard should be there for Felicity.
"Where's Palmer?" asked Oliver.
He was furious at Palmer's sloppiness in his actions and tactics. It led to Felicity getting hurt. Lance walked up to him.
"He's down at the precinct waiting for his lawyer to get him out of jail," said Lance. "I had him arrested for endangerment. He hurt civilians then he hurt gang members. I don't care what sort of agreement he had with the mayor and commissioner. The TV cameras showed the public that he's not ready for primetime yet."
"Good," growled Oliver.
Lance leaned and whispered, "Nice right hook. Too bad you didn't break his jaw."
Oliver nodded to him then looked at Laurel. She was seated on a loveseat with Thea beside her. He walked over to her.
"How is Felicity?" he asked.
"We are still waiting to hear from a doctor, Ollie. I think she'll be fine, though. She took some hard bumps and bruises, but nothing she can't handle," said Laurel.
He clenched his jaw and nodded. The anger was boiling up in him. If he had his way Ray and his suit would be in action for quite some time. Diggle came up to Oliver.
"Eighteen civilians were seriously hurt between the gang members and Palmer. Luckily, there were no fatalities," said Diggle. "All accounts say that The Arrow only hurt those he wanted to hurt. Media is having a field day comparing heroes."
"He was damned sloppy, Dig. The suit is powerful and has possibilities but he has no tactical awareness and his judgment is flawed by adrenaline and fear. It could have been worse and let me tell you getting Felicity hurt is unforgiveable," said Oliver.
"But it wasn't because of you that's she is hurt this time, so don't beat yourself up," said Dig in a low voice. "Felicity will be alright."
A doctor in his medical togs came walking down the hallway. He looked at the group gathered.
"Who here is for Felicity Smoak?" he asked.
"All of us," Roy spoke up.
The doctor nodded and then he looked at his chart before he spoke.
"Miss Smoak has a grade two concussion, a broken left wrist, and bad cut on her forehead. She is going to be fine," said the doctor.
"Can we see her?" asked Diggle.
"She's sleeping now. She'll be able to take visitors in the morning," said the doctor.
"Is she in a private room?" asked Oliver.
"Yes, she is," he answered.
"Then someone can sit in the room quietly and keep her company while she sleeps," said Oliver.
"I suppose so," said the doctor.
"Show me to her room," said Oliver.
"Who are you?" asked the doctor.
"Oliver Queen and I'm a very close friend of Miss Smoak," he answered.
"Oliver Queen," nodded the doctor. "I'll show you to her room."
Oliver turned and looked at his friends, his family, then said, "Go home, get rest. I'll see you in the morning."
"I'll bring you coffee early," said Diggle.
Oliver nodded then followed the doctor down the hall. The doctor opened the door to a darkened room. All that lit the room was a bluish night light. Oliver shook the doctor's hand then entered the room. He grabbed a chair and brought it silently close to Felicity's bed. Before he sat down, though, he stared at her. She looked so young and so frail lying in the bed. He had worked with her for three years now and half forgotten how young she was. But, he had forgotten how precious she was.
He sat down in the chair and very quietly lowered the bed guard that kept her from rolling off the bed. He moved his chair in closely and then took her right hand in both of his. Holding the handle tightly, but not too tightly, he dropped his forehead so it touched her hand. He had failed her today when she got hurt. Ray should not have been allowed to make such a scene. He should have stopped him and protected her. He should have been her hero.
Oliver closed his eyes. He wasn't going to leave her side until she was ready to go home.
Arrow
Finally, at two in the morning Ray's lawyer got him released. There were promises made about restitution to those hurt and property damage done. All in all it was going to cost Palmer Technologies a nice chunk of change. He had his driver take him to the hospital, so that he could check up on Felicity. His heart broke when he heard she was hurt.
Entering the hospital, he made his way to the room she was in. Slowly, so as not to disturb her, he opened the door. The light from the hallway lit a scene for him that made his heart skipped a beat. Oliver Queen had his head resting on Felicity's upper thigh, while Felicity had her right head resting on his head. Had he been fooling himself thinking that Felicity was falling in love with him? He closed the door and walked down the hallway leaving Felicity in the hands of Oliver Queen. After what happened earlier this evening, he knew those hands were competent and strong.
Arrow
Felicity opened her eyes to sunny room that was far too sunny. For a moment she wondered where she was then she remembered what happened. She also felt something under her right hand. Looking down she saw that her hand was resting on Oliver's head and his head was resting on her thigh. Even with the headache she was feeling, she smiled.
The door to her room opened and Diggle walked in with a cardboard tray with three coffees in it. As he came into the room the door made a slight noise and Oliver's head whipped up, as she started to scan the room for danger.
"Oliver, calm down. There is no danger," said Felicity.
He looked at Felicity and sighed.
"How are you?" he asked softly.
"I'm fine, Oliver," she said with a smile then she looked at Diggle. "Is one of those coffees for me?"
Diggle handed her a large coffee and said, "Just the way you like it."
"My caffeine addiction thanks you," she smiled.
Diggle handed Oliver a large black coffee. He leaned back in his chair and stared at Felicity, as she sipped her coffee.
"Okay, I've been indisposed for a few hours, so what happened?" she asked.
"Ray wasn't ready for what hit him. His response caused more damage and injuries of civilians then the gang members until The Arrow showed up," said Diggle, who looked at Oliver with a smirk.
"Oliver, did you hurt Ray?" she asked.
"I merely disabled him from causing any more damage," he answered keeping a neutral face.
Felicity knew that face. He was hiding something. She looked pleadingly at Diggle.
"He hit him with the prettiest right hook I've ever seen knocking him out cold," said Diggle.
"Oliver," Felicity sighed.
"He's lucky that is all I did," said Oliver.
His smart phone rang. Oliver took it out of his pocket and saw that it was from Walter Steele. He got up and walked to the corner of the room and answered it.
"Walter," he said.
"Oliver, I just heard from Ray Palmer. He has an offer to make. I think you'd be interested in it," said Walter. "Can you be available this afternoon?"
"I'm with Felicity right now," said Oliver.
"How is Miss Smoak?" asked Walter.
"She is going to be fine," said Oliver. "What time this afternoon do you want to see me?"
"Let me and some of my associates meet with Mr. Palmer and hear what he has to say. How about you come by my office at three?" he said.
"I'll be there," said Oliver.
Oliver hung up. He looked over at Felicity and Diggle who were talking. Felicity noticed him staring and started to blush.
"Dig, can you leave Oliver and I alone for a moment?" she asked.
"Sure," he smiled then he looked at Oliver and nodded.
Dig left. Oliver tentatively walked over to the side of the bed. Felicity stared up at him.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?"
"Spending the night with me," she answered. "And… Oliver, do you love me?"
"You know that I do, Felicity."
"Well, I love you, too," she said.
Oliver tried to fight a grin from appearing on his face, but he couldn't. He had been wanting to hear those words for some time now.
"I like the way that sounds," he said.
"What are we going to do about it?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked her.
"If we become a couple when things get crazy again, or dangerous again, will you become all growly and arrowy on me and tell me that we can't be together because of what you do?" she asked him.
"Felicity, I learned an important lesson when Ra's almost killed me. After he ran me through and was about to kick me off the mountain, images of certain people ran through my mind – my father, my mother, my sister, and you. You are that important to me," he told her.
"I was one of your last thought?" she asked him.
"You were my last thought, Felicity, and I would have it no other way," Oliver said. "I love you. I want to be with you."
With tears in her eyes, Felicity held out her arms. Oliver sat on the side of the bed and wrapped her in his arms. He then did something he had been wanting to do for a long time and kissed her with passion, with urgency, and with love. She deepened the kiss until they both need to come up for air.
"I'm going to need to talk to Ray," she said.
Oliver couldn't help but put on his Arrow 'I'm going to kill someone' face.
"Oliver, I need to end things with him," she said.
"I could end him," said Oliver.
Felicity raised an eyebrow and said, "Sometimes I don't know when you are joking or not."
"Good," Oliver said with a straight face.
"I don't want you to hurt Ray. Promise me you won't hurt him, Oliver. He's a good man. He just needs to change what he trusts and how he does things," she said.
Her frown and serious face melted his heart. Oliver knew he couldn't say no to her.
"I won't hurt him," Oliver said.
"Thank you," she said sweetly. "Now can you talk to a doctor and get me out of this hospital? I want to go home and spend some time alone with someone."
"Did you buy a dog?" he asked her.
"Very funny, Oliver Queen. Now get me out of here," she smiled.
Arrow
Oliver arrived at Walter's office at three sharp. Walter's secretary escorted him into the office where Walter was waiting for him. They shook hands.
"Doris, bring us a pit of coffee," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Doris left. Walter motioned Oliver to sit down, so he did so in a chair in front of Walter's desk.
"So, Walter, what does Ray Palmer want?" he asked.
"It appears that his A.T.O.M. project is going to cost his company a fair amount of money in Starling City. He is not giving up on the project but he is going to make some changes," said Walter.
"How does this affect me, Walter?"
"He is going to take the project to another city. As Mr. Palmer said this city already has a hero," said Walter.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"He is willing to sell pieces of Queen Industries back to some investors. He wishes to keep the green energy division, certain science projects, and overseas factories, but the majority will be sold back to you and several investors. Since you own a good man shares of Palmer Technologies. Once the deal is made you'll be the leading stockholder of Queen Industries with forty-one percent. Thea will own ten percent. And the rest will belong to the Board of Directors and some private investors. Are you interested?" Walter asked. "You'll be CEO once again of your family's company."